Discover what being a therapist means to Erin.
Dr. Buggy believes deeply in our innate human capacity to heal, grow, overcome, and evolve into our fullest potential. When conditions are ideal, that is, when we feel truly understood, accepted, known, and safe to be our whole selves, incredible insights and meaningful shifts are both possible and probable.
In working with Dr. Buggy, you can anticipate feeling respected, heard, known, supported, and accepted. You will also encounter tactful honesty, curiosity and compassion, ah-ha moments, your own creativity, tears, discomfort, relief, laughter, and even joy… because therapy really isn’t all drudgery!
While taking the initial leap into therapy can feel unsettling, with Dr. Buggy you will find that her interpersonal style is warm, her office welcoming, and our work highly collaborative. She will meet you where you are at, tailor your treatment accordingly, use a combination of intervention strategies, and work as hard as you.
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Dr. Buggy is a Licensed Psychologist. She received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Northern Arizona University (NAU). During her tenure as a graduate student, she regularly served as a teaching assistant for a variety of therapy, psychopathology, and ethics courses. Toggling for numerous years between student, assistant teacher, and trainee allowed her to dive deeply into the science, practice, and art of psychotherapy.
Dr. Buggy developed a novel experiential therapy technique, known as Layered Symbolic Narrative (LSN), which uses symbolic objects to process complex dynamics like trauma, grief, and addiction in adults. LSN is used extensively within PCS’ Intensive Treatment Program. In 2026, Dr. Buggy was honored with the Distinguished Contribution to the Professional Practice of Psychology award by the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA) for developing LSN.
Dr. Buggy’s dissertation involved developing a novel, integrative theoretical approach to understanding and approaching treatment of complex PTSD, the findings of which she has been invited to share on both state and national psychology association platforms. In 2023, Dr. Buggy was honored with an award by NAU’s College of Education as the “Outstanding Doctoral Student from the department of Clinical Psychology” for her ongoing excellence and unique contributions to the program.
Dr. Buggy is passionate about connecting, creating, learning, evolving, mentoring, teaching, leading, collaborating, affirming, and advocating. Her time and energy are often spent pursuing these aims through her professional work and when communing with loved ones, snuggling her cats, and engaging in various hobbies and forms of self-care.
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
Adult Giftedness, Authenticity and Identity Development, Client Centered, Codependency, Cognitive Behavioral, Dialectical Behavioral, Divorce, Emotion Focused, Existential Humanistic, Experiential, Grief and Loss, Life Transitions, Partner Betrayal, Perinatal and Women's Issues, Self-Esteem, Strengths-Based, Trauma, Trauma-Informed
